TaleSpin: Volume 2

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All Rise...

Judge Paul Pritchard can't understand why Baloo has problems meeting women. I mean he's like this big bear with these claws and with fangs...he's so money and he doesn't even know it.

The Charge

Stamp Your Passport For Fun And Excitement!

Opening Statement

Here's a question. Who the hell, in their right mind, gives a bear a pilot's
license?

Facts of the Case

Originally conceived as a Duck Tales spin-off starring Launchpad
McQuack, TaleSpin, after a change of heart by its creators, instead
re-imagined characters from Disney classic The Jungle Book and placed them in the
fictional town of Cape Suzette, centering its story on air freight pilot Baloo.
Along with his boss Rebecca Cunningham and his young partner/navigator Kit
Cloudkicker, the trio transports cargo under the name "Higher For
Hire" in their aircraft, the Sea Duck.

Of course, if it were that simple, the show wouldn't be much fun, so wisely
series creators Jymn Magon and Mark Zaslove throw in air pirates led by the
dastardly Don Karnage, along with other perils to spice things up. Every episode
of TaleSpin would see the crew of the Sea Duck getting into adventures
that, I'm pretty sure, go way beyond those that most couriers face on a daily
basis.

The Evidence

Having dipped their toes into the waters of the animated TV series with
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears and The Wuzzles and finding
some success, Disney made the decision to take characters from its vast back
catalogue and use them in its new lineup of high-quality animated TV shows.
While Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and DuckTales had given Disney
success by reinventing beloved characters, what came next was a far bolder step.
While Scrooge McDuck and Co. were mere supporting players previously, Disney
would turn to one of its most beloved titles, The Jungle Book, as the inspiration for
TaleSpin.

Thrusting Baloo into the spotlight, re-imagining him as a cargo pilot with a
penchant for dapper headwear along the way, the series completely removed the
human element that Mowgli gave to The Jungle Book and instead, presented
a world populated by anthropomorphic animals. Not that Mowgli's presence isn't
felt; the character of Kit Cloudkicker is Mowgli by another name…and
species. Taken under Baloo's wing, Kit will frequently refer to Baloo as
"Papa Bear" and clearly regards Baloo as his mentor. Throw in Rebecca
Cunningham, Baloo's and Kit's boss, and the hottest cartoon bear since Yogi's
lady friend Cindy, and the show's central trio is complete. Baloo, however, is
not the only alumnus of The Jungle Book to make the transition from the
big to small screen. King Louie, now just plain old Louie (clearly Cape Suzette
is a republic), is the owner of Louie's Place, the local nightspot. Shere Khan
also appears sporadically throughout the series, now portrayed as a wealthy
businessman, his pleasure coming more from running smaller businesses into the
ground than the hunting his former self enjoyed. Now he represents a wholly
different kind of evil.

TaleSpin: Volume 2 offers up 27 episodes of the show, and is a fine
mix of comedy and adventure that caters to the younger members of the family
perfectly, though that's not to say older viewers will not be entertained.
Unlike so many animated films/series released nowadays, TaleSpin doesn't
feel the need to throw in double-entendres or references that only adults will
appreciate, simply going straight over the heads of any children watching.
Instead, TaleSpin utilizes solid writing, creating exciting stories to
keep any watching adults entertained.

While the majority of the stories are certainly praiseworthy, from the
excitement of a globetrotting adventure in "For Whom the Bell Klangs,"
a two-parter which ups the action stakes, to the loveliness of "A Jolly
Molly Christmas," what really keeps Talespin so enjoyable is the
richness of its characters. Indeed, the sheer charisma of Baloo, or the
slapstick of Wildcat, the mechanic at Higher for Hire (and possible relation of
Tigger, sharing his looks and lisp), means that episodes such as "A Baloo
Switcheroo" or "The Old Man and The Sea Duck," which deal with
well-worn plots involving characters switching bodies and amnesia respectively,
are never dull.

Perhaps of most interest to fans of the show, is the episode "Last
Horizons," which is one of two episodes of Talespin that was
actually banned. With obvious allusions to Pearl Harbor, the episode was
apparently banned, albeit temporarily, due to its alleged stereotyping of
Asians. Beginning with Baloo's attempts to be worthy of a parade, he sets out to
discover the fabled land of Panda-La, home to a race of anthropomorphic Pandas.
Upon discovering Panda-La (relatively easily, but hey, it's a cartoon) high up
in the mountains, Baloo is initially welcomed by its ruler, Emperor Wan Lo.
Unbeknown to Baloo, Wan Lo's hospitality is a ruse, and hides his real
intentions. Following Baloo back to Cape Suzette with his airborne squadron, Wan
Lo launches an invasion wiping out Cape Suzette's somewhat unprepared air
defenses. It's an excellent episode full of action and excitement, and though
the references to the Japanese during World War II are undeniable, the episode
goes to some lengths to stress its not aiming to paint everyone with the same
brush when Emperor Wan Lo points out, "Good Pandas especially dislike
us."

The fact that there are no extras to speak of is a big disappointment,
though not exactly unusual for these Disney box sets.

Audio and video are both probably about as good as you can expect for a show
that is eighteen years old. There's the odd scratch or bit of dirt evident, but
nothing to really worry about.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Honestly, it's hard to find fault with Talespin: Volume 2. Yes there
are a few episodes that are not particularly original (or in the case of
"The Time Bandit," an almost identical retread of the DuckTales
episode "Allowance Day"), and the animation is a little dated, but
beyond that, though Talespin never truly reaches greatness, it offers up
utterly entertaining Saturday morning TV.

Closing Statement

When you can still find a TV series entertaining, despite having crammed in
27 of its episodes in one week, it must be doing something right. Despite
repetitive themes running through many of the episodes, re-watching Talespin:
Volume 2 proved to be an enjoyable experience; one that reveals a show well
worth revisiting.

The Verdict

TaleSpin: Volume 2 is found not guilty. Baloo, however, is asked to
remain behind and explain certain items found in his cargo hold.